New Delhi, May 9: Over 70 flights were cancelled on Thursday following the mass sick leave taken by the cabin crew of Air India Express, sources said. “A total of 292 AIX flights will operate today, 74 stand cancelled,” sources told IANS. The airline’s cabin crew went on mass sick leave claiming that despite promises of job security, salary preservation, and recognition of seniority and expertise, there has been a noticeable deviation from these assurances.

The Air India Express Employees Union (AIXEU), representing a segment of cabin crew members, had also earlier written to Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran, addressing employee grievances and expressing concerns about the ongoing situation within Air India Express Limited, especially after its acquisition by Tata. Air India Express Terminates 25 Employees for Not Reporting to Work After 'Mass Sick Leave' by Crew Members Led to Cancellation of Several Flights

The union has accused the airline of mismanagement and unequal treatment of staff, claiming that these issues have adversely impacted employee morale. Meanwhile, Air India Express CEO Aloke Singh in a letter to his colleagues said that act is certainly not representative of the 2,000-odd cabin crew colleagues in the company who continue to respond to the call of duty and serve our guests with dedication and pride. Air India Express Controversy: 'Company Leadership Available for Discussions', CEO Aloke Singh, Says in Letter to Employees After Cabin Crew Goes on Mass Sick Leave Over Alleged Mismanagement at Airline

“Since last evening, over 100 of our cabin crew colleagues have reported sick prior to their rostered flight duty, at the last minute, severely disrupting our operations. Because this action was mostly by colleagues assigned L1 role, the impact was disproportionate, disrupting 90+ flights even though other colleagues reported for duty,” read the letter sent on Wednesday.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 09, 2024 11:32 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).